It's a spiritual thing.

Tag: Baltimore

Hampden evokes feeling of community, and that grows in volume as we approach the holidays. Oh yes, the holidays. I felt like I was just talking about that a few days ago. And I don’t mean another holiday. I mean the holidays. Here we are…

I like it quiet, cozy, and peaceful. I like conversation. I like meaningful conversation. Sometimes that might be too much for you or I. But I can’t speak for you, so I won’t nor should I. Small talk just hasn’t worked for me in a while. I have done it, but I can only do it for so long before I’m exposed in away. I have yet to grasp the concept of faking it till I make it. Not yet…

Their happy hour red is the 2016 La Ferla Nero d’Avola and I’m grateful they were serving after those hours because this is the perfect wine to have with anything or nothing at all. I tend to say that a lot, and it may come off robotic, but it’s a feeling I have about some wines.

It’s light enough to drink any time of year but has depth and character that will fill your senses, warm your heart, and perfect the mood that you’re in. Hopefully it’s a good one.

Filled with pepper, spices, and a little bit of the unknown, this just felt right for early November. And at $4 a glass I’m getting a bargain. The average price for this wine is around $10, and that’s exactly what it tasted like. That’s a compliment above all else.

You know when wines just feel right and you want them right now. This is for right now…

My friends and I had quite a few small plates and not at any time did the cheapness of wine come out when paired with spiced nuts, brussels sprouts, and frites. Everything complemented the other. What can also be said was that the company was great, the ambiance is always off the charts, and the positive energy is in abundance. That’s going to make any wine, any food, and anything just be better.

I love this place, and sometimes experiences are so good that they shouldn’t always be shared.

Sometimes I get this visceral feeling as to what I should share, should document, should photograph, and what I shouldn’t. It’s great to keep a log, a blog, a journal, a history of experiences, and to share them. I just know there’s an intellect with this that is bigger than the food, the wine, or anything. That it’s ok to put into words.

When it comes to pictures, I sense a more polarizing opinion. I think it’s good to take a few here and there, but I’ve never been one to constantly do it. So when looking back at my posts I get a kick out of seeing photos I know I left out, because those are for me and for me only. Same for certain stories that I will never share, or I am not ready to. In a lot of ways that has more of a reaction than what is put out there.

With that being said, I don’t know what the holidays will bring but then I do. But it’ll all be from my heart and with the best intentions. Then there will be those stories that may or may not see the light of day. That’s one of the many joys I get from this.

But for now, Happy Early Thanksgiving and…

Take good care…

Love,

Ideen

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I know what I like and while it evolves, I still know what I like. While palates change, tastes change, and life changes, your gut is still your guide. And your gut will never let you down. It didn’t let me down and I still went against it. So you can imagine the results.

The first wine was already opened by my friends at a friendly neighborhood bar/restaurant and it was stellar.

The 2016 Black’s Station Yolo County Cabernet Sauvignon produced by Matchbook Wines is one of the lighter variations of this wine I’ve had in a while. If I did a blind test I wouldn’t know most wines from the other. Well maybe I would. No, not everything, but enough. After drinking enough wine you’re going to pick up some things. It’s what makes this so fun. It’s not something to force upon yourself or anyone else. Am I talking about wine, or anything in general? That’s up to you and me to decide. But it’s all relative.

This wine is great and at around $12, it’s worth it’s weight in so much. It just felt like the right wine for a transition into the season. It hurts me to say that but that’s where we are. It just felt right and while I tasted some spices, and the berries, and maybe some other indescribable hidden gems.

Most of all, it tasted good. And being in a place that felt safe, felt comfortable, yet a bit of an unknown enhanced that experience. No food, no loud noises, no shouting over anyone to be heard was necessary. It was where I was and where I was supposed to be that matter. I wish I could’ve ended it like that. And I still might try too…

Things went a little south here. I wish I could say otherwise. The Red Blend from Rhiannon just felt like it was there. It was a label I’ve had before, and while I wasn’t sure, the fact that I vaguely remember should have immediately given me a warning sign.

Just because something isn’t so memorable doesn’t mean it’s not great, profound, or heck even memorable. Sometimes it goes deep into our subconscious for later discussion, or never again.

Well I wouldn’t want to say never again. I’m not sure what else there is to say. I think I recall purchasing this bottle for under $10 so I can’t complain there. And having these bottles at half price on a weekday night is something to be grateful for. The glass is more than half full on this one. There just wasn’t much that stood out about the wine. Like I’ve said before, if a wine is terrible, or if anything is terrible, there might more to talk about. This makes me sad to say but this is as mediocre as it gets.

I’ll keep the focus on and end with the Black’s Station Cabernet, as it was beautiful. I’ve never seen it in stores, and now that I’ve discovered I hope to. I hope you can find it too! For it’s a treasure alright. While there’s plenty of amazing wines and even the best ones are never found out, or get lost in the shuffle, this is one worth going after.

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I can count the times on one, maybe two hands that I’ve been to 13.5% Wine Bar in the always enjoyable Hampden neighborhood in Baltimore.

That number just went up and is going to continue to go up if each visit is like the last one. Every time I’ve been here I’ve always felt comfortable sitting at the bar outside, whether it’s with people or by myself. The first time I visited was over six years ago, and I came here purposely alone. I loved everything about it, and while company is great, so can be solitude.

This time I had a friend join me, but not before our bartender Mackenzie (big thanks to her for her hospitality and kindness) had me try three wines on the spot. An impromptu tasting will always make me happy. Maybe I made a wish to the universe and three bottles magically showed up.

They’re all good to great with the Riesling having the most character, boldness, and structure. To me it tastes more like a Sauvignon Blanc, and the tasting notes would say the same. I don’t usually appreciate Riesling’s, but this was so good that a few 3 oz. pours would say I truly loved this wine.

Yes, 3 oz. pours make it easier to try multiple wines at even more reasonable prices. I stuck with my Riesling, and kept that momentum going. Even per other recommendations, I wanted to stick with what made me happy.

I haven’t seen these wines sold anywhere near me, so this seems to be the place to have them, for now…

I appreciate the honesty and transparency of what these wines would cost at retail. I don’t recall if I’ve seen menus like this anywhere else. It’s welcome to see. This is new to me, but it’s a detail that’ll keep me coming back.

My friend and I had a good time catching up, talking about important things, talking about absurd things, and then nothing at all. The small plates were great, and in a way symbolizes that the little things are the big things, and that’s what matters.

Something about 13.5 has always brought joy to me. It’s a getaway within a city. If I want to be around people I don’t know, or don’t always see it’s perfect. I like the anonymity and a different part of the city that while I do explore, I don’t explore enough.

The weather was perfect and ideal for sitting outside, but then the chances of a tasting and who knows what else may not have happened. It’s all about location and timing, and I think, no I know, the decisions were made right.

You can’t force these things. You can’t force good times and you can’t force your hand. Being in the right place, at the right time, with a little divine faith is all you need. And the universe will do the rest.

The universe looked out for us here. This was tremendous in all areas.

Rosé and whites have slowly been done, with so many more to try. There’s still the reds. There’s still plenty of time to try them all, but that journey will be done slowly, surely, and effortlessly. Well maybe not too slow.

This is to be continued, as we keep that momentum…

Salud.

Ideen

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Leave it to a wine that I didn’t bring to a party, and leave it to a wine that might seem out of place at the same party, on first impression, to end up being one of the better wines I’ve had in quite some time.

As we approach the Summer, you know it’s going to be out the whites, the lighter reds (if possible), and the rosé’s of course. It wouldn’t be right otherwise. So after a few weeks of the latter, we take it back to a red that had no business being here, if you believe that.

I believe otherwise.

The 2014 de Landiras Rouge, Graves is a wine that should never be lost in the shuffle, or caught in the mix of anything. That analogy can be applied to daily life as well.

For outdoor parties, of course lighter fare, more sweeter varietals and cocktails are going to be the drink of choice. That’s the point. It’s your drink of choice. I sound like a public service announcement, but it’s whatever you want, whenever you want, as long as it makes you feel good and the good vibrations are around you and all your pals.

This more than standard Bordeaux with a classic blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon tastes like the first wine I ever had. If that doesn’t make sense (or it does), it just tastes like a wine drinkers wine. No matter what your level of expertise, or your palate, it just has that look and feel of an old world and old school wine.

My kind of wine.

Dark berries and cassis is what you might find on the nose, (well that’s what one synopsis says), but the blackberry and currant is what you taste (the palate) and it’s the best combination of the two that I can remember.

I love currant because it’s so common in some of my favorite teas, so to find it go well in certain wines makes me so happy. And it’s a throwback, and old school taste that reminds me of drinking wine and sipping tea with family and friends. And that’s so important.

This is a wine that was shared, appreciated, and spoken in awe of family and friends. I want to know who brought this wine, so I can personally thank them. You should always say thank you when someone brings something to a party.

At a value of ranging from $12-18, I feel this would be worth over $20. I believe I saw the price tag on this particular bottle say $22. I’d pay that much for it, but of course I rather pay less. Who wouldn’t?

I’ve never seen this wine before (that I know of), and have no idea where to find it. I almost get the sense that it’s something I’m not supposed to ever see again, or not until the next time it randomly shows up in my life. Sometimes life works out like that, and in a way, I’m ok with that. Those make for the best stories.

I still enjoyed this with some great party foods, snacks, and with plenty of great people to share the day with. This was a party I was honored to have been invited to, and honored to discover this amazing wine, surrounded by amazing friends. Even if only a few of us enjoyed this wine.

I would say back to your regularly scheduled whites or rosé next week, but you never know…

Peace Be With You..

Ideen

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It’s early January, and does anyone know where the time went? I write this from a place of having many options to write about, yet many options that might not see the light of day, nor are meant to ever be.

As eclectic as these experiences have been, and I know will continue to be, sometimes the best is always going to be the ones that you didn’t even know were going to happen. And you don’t know always know how great they’re going to be until the company you didn’t even expect to see, show up; and the place we ended up, were never on our radar to begin with.

Or maybe it was.

The day after Christmas, a good friend of mine met me at one venue, but we mutually realized this wasn’t going to work. It was too crowded for what we wanted. All we were looking for was a place of peace, to sip a glass of wine, and maybe partake in more indulging of foods that make the holidays so great.

I keep talking about the holidays. They’re officially over in most circles, but to me, anything and everything can turn into a holiday, a joyous experience, and a memorable one, if done properly.

This is exactly what we did.

When we stopped too hard to find a place, we let our spiritual compass find our way. My gut told me wine, and it always tells me wine. Footsteps from where we were standing, the Chesapeake Wine Company was just the cure that was needed for the sometimes bluesy and downward feelings the holidays can bring.

I’ve been here many times before, seen ownership change hands, purchased plenty of wine for a party, and had many a glass inside.

This was a combination of all of that. My friend and I shared a couple of bottles and enjoyed a beautiful plate of bread and cheese. It was a comfort that was needed. And what was going to be a short while, turned into a long one. How long the day went doesn’t matter.

It’s one of those situations where time stands it and flies by all at the same time.

Now if you’ve had a Mark West wine, you know you’re going to get quality, you know they’re strictly all about Pinot Noir and nothing else, and you know this all comes at a reasonable price. I’ve seen their selections in many a shoppe at right around $10, and sometimes less. It’s a bargain for what you’re getting.

The Monterey County Black is in more of the $12-$15 range, and for me this tastes closer to a $20 bottle. That’s just an opinion and observation based on how the wine tasted and opened up as the afternoon went on.

It’s a smoother Pinot then many might be accustomed too. You get those flavors of plums, dark cherries, vanilla, and mocha which is exquisite for the winter time, but is just as drinkable in the warmer months. But thinking about this now, it was perfect for a post Christmas affair.

Seriously, this might have been the most fitting day to have this glass, and it went perfectly with our snacks.

What’s even more fascinating is the notes tell a story that I’m going to look for in future wines, when I get the chance.

In order to give this wine that darker color and more of a medium-to-full bodies taste is the result of a process called saignée, which is when the ligher colored wine is removed before it has time to blend in with the skins of the grapes.

I didn’t think about any of that at time because I was just so busy enjoying the wine in its purest form and more importantly the company of one another. And that’s what a place like this will do.

The atmosphere of Chesapake Wine Company is inviting, welcoming, yet private enough that you can have a pleasant conversation without anyone in the world to distract you.

Yet the bottles available for purchase might be a nice cause for distraction and another escape if necessary. The staff is pretty awesome as well.

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There are moments in time and in life where everything just feels right. No forced plans or arbitrary feelings of having to show up take place. You want to be with people, you want to do something fun, and you want to do something that’s real.

This is what happened with the Pagoda Lighting a couple of Sundays ago, (December 3rd to be exact) in Patterson Park, a part of Baltimore I adore.

A conversation with some friends to meet up for it happened the night before. And you know how that goes, sometimes you get inspired when talking about future plans, and when you’re in the moment, it feels amazing, feels like a guarantee, and feels like nothing else matters in the world. It’s a natural high that sounds preposterous as I write this out, but it just feels so real and so good in that moment.

It’s great to have things to look forward to, and that’s amplified during the holidays. No one wants to be alone on the holidays. Sometimes it’s a choice, sometimes things just can’t be helped.

Thankfully the two friends I was to meet up with (based on the aforementioned conversation two paragraphs ago) came to fruition, and life was good. Life is good, and this event was amazing.

With a tree (or in this instance an actual pagoda) lighting, that means plenty of festivities beforehand. There were free treats, snacks, hot cocoa, among other things that were available for enjoyment. Of course the food trucks you’re likely now accustomed to were in attendance, but folks got to eat!

And folks go to drink wine! But we were smart. We brought our own wine, our own cheese, meats, crackers, and all of that good stuff. Our cost to us was minimal but the experience was invaluable, and you can’t put a price tag on memories.

I’ll be honest, and one of my friends concurred, this wine was nothing special. It was about $13 at one of my local wine shoppes, so it wasn’t a major splurge, but it wasn’t a major anything.

One thing that does stand out is how purple this wine is in comparison to other red wines you would have. It’s a red blend (46% Alicante Bouschet and 54% Malbec) so anything can happen. Alicante Bouschet is a new one for me, as far as I know. I’ll have to explore this some more.

There’s lots of dark fruits, and cherries, but the notes mention violets and charcuterie, that’s interesting. Rhubarb, blackberry, and crushed peppercorns on the nose? I’m fascinated. I got none of this, but this is not an expert analysis on wine. It’s not the crowd pleaser I had hoped. It wasn’t the easy to drink wine you want at an event like this, or when you want something that agrees with everyone’s palate.

Quite simply, did I enjoy this wine? No, but it was fine enough to drink, and when it comes to most, if not all situations, that’s all that matters. It wasn’t a chore or a struggle, and when you’re with good people it’s never a struggle.

When the energy is good, everything still tastes better. The conversations are heightened, the air tends to feel fresher, and ones overall state of being is going to rub off on everyone else. That’s what I got from this night out.

I’m grateful I took a before and after picture of the Pagoda itself. It captures how beautiful this event, this lighting, and how amazing Christmas and the holidays can truly be. And when you spend celebrations with kind-hearted and genuine people, that’s a recipe for a winning holiday season. It’s a recipe for any season and anything period.

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Highlandtown is what I now consider the most homey part of Baltimore. It’s the one neighborhood that is experiencing a renaissance, but still feels like a neighborhood with a community, local businesses, local flavor, and now an inspired art scene.

The Highlandtown First Friday Art Walk, which began in June, and is going through the rest of the year has eagerly become an event myself and many others look forward too.

My first time experiencing this was back in July, and it just felt like old times. And what I exactly mean by old times? While so much around us has begun to look cookie cutter and all too pedestrian, this neighborhood is keeping it beautiful. With art galleries, shoppes, local businesses, local foodie spots, and so much more popping up in the most charming of fashions, Highlandtown is doing it right. And keep on doing it please. It’s the most welcoming of feelings.

I don’t even know how to exactly describe it, other than it’s of the most authentic and really Baltimore feeling places you want to visit. With friendly faces, familiar faces and new ones, beautiful art, beautiful people, plenty of food and drink, and live musicians inside and out, you’ve got a winning combination all around.

I’ve missed the past couple of month due to life happening, but I’ve made it a goal to make it through to the rest of the year, and with the holidays looming.

My good friends from Peak Peformance have taken advantage of this fantastic monthly event, with a happy hour with great food, vino, live music, and now a resident artist.

I missed it last month but Mowgli Art has made an impression that’s going to be hard to forget. I’m a member of Peak, so I’m fortunate to admire this art on a regular basis. ANd this month was no exception. It’s just getting bigger. The crowd was consistent and it was busy.

And my friend Melissa, who also works at Peak, got a chance to sell some of her great jewelry.

After all this, is there a wine involved? But of course. Plenty of food and drink was provided but I discovered a charming little bottle that fits in with the fall season, if not art itself.

The 2016 Camina Tempranillo is a simple wine with little if any thrills. And for now that’s just the way I wanted it. I was immediately drawn to the label with its beautiful depiction of leaves, animals, and charming as all heck symbols. The color and images just yell fall don’t they?

It’s a wine heavy on berry aromas of cherry, blackberry, and other fruits. The notes mention hints of almond and hazelnut. It’s an easy to drink wine that you don’t have to think much about it. It’s a good wine but it’s not going to blow anyone away. And with a price averaging under $10, there’s no need for too many complaints. But I wouldn’t spend that much more on it.

The vibe at art events just tends to feel different and more welcoming. I don’t know much about art but I know it makes people feel good. It evokes different emotions and brings about a different type of conversation that you may not ordinarily get a typical bar. This is better than the bar, and sets the bar on a different way to enjoy a Friday night or night out in general.

This blog is going to be as picture heavy as it gets. It may be the most photos I’ve ever inserted in a blog, so I hope you enjoy that.

There were some folks playing live music on the walk to and from various stops, which made us stop and appreciate what we were witnessing.

Back in July, there was a live jazz band performing and the Highlandtown Art Gallery. You’ll never know what to expect at this thing. The unpredictability while still becoming familiar with the galleries makes this a truly harmonious and heartwarming event.

November 3rd, will be here before you know it, and will be the next installment of the Art Walk. If the stars alight, this might be revisited again for the blog.